I picked this old ras for a song and wanted to see if anyone could tell me about how old it might be, i am also looking for any ideas or suggestions on replacing the surface top and making some type of fence/backplate

25 replies so far

Do a Google search for craftsman radial arm saw recall. If your saw is in the correct serial # range you can get a nice upgrade kit for the guard and a complete new table free. As for the age my dad had one that looked just like yours back in the late 60’s and I think he bought it used.

-- A tube of calk and a gallon of paint will make a carpenter what he ain't

That particular was made through the late 60’s, if I recall.My FIL bought one new around ‘68. The recall for that one is $100 for the motor, they (Emerson) didn’t offer the guard/table option for the older ones.

Actually I have the same exact one. I have owned two of these and the recall covered both of them. I have rebuilt three homes using these two RAS and the worked great. I decided to take the recall for both of them, the $200 will go towards a new table saw which i desperately need. If you decide to keep it, make sure you get the manual and get it set up correctly. They are a great cross cut saw, but IMHO they are a dangerous rip saw. I made my own door frames using these without getting hurt, but i was very careful and used all safety precautions (as you should always do). The link above should get you the manual. Enjoy, it is a great saw.

While we are talking about old craftsman RAS I have a similar saw that is quite a bit newer and of course I can get $100 bucks for it on the recall which is $5 mare than I have invested. Since I use it mostly for cross cutting it seems like it would be much safer and more convenient with a squeeze type trigger switch on the handle just like a skill saw. Has anyone rigged theirs this way? Does anyone know of a retrofit type kit to do this? They are handy old saws but arguably one of the most dangerous tools in the shop ( hence the recall).

-- A tube of calk and a gallon of paint will make a carpenter what he ain't

I bought this model in 1964 and have used it ever since. It is a great saw. As far as dangerous, any tool can bedangerous. The main problem is that people use the wrong type of blade for it. The blade should have a zero or negative rake tooth or hook. By this I mean if you draw a line from the center of the hole to the tip of the tooth, the tooth should lean backward for a negative rake or should be straight. If it leans forward as blades for table saws usually do it can cause the saw to be pulled forward toward you. This is what scares users, and claim the saw is too dangerous. Use a blade that is designed for radial arm saws . A new table can be made by gluing two pieces of 1/2” Particle board together to make it 1” thick.

Well I have $50 bucks in it and it appears Craftsman only requires you to send in the Motor Assembly and Blade Housing. So i may just send it back and put that money into a table saw then reuse the old RAS Table and stand for something else.

Well i called the hotline to try and get the $100 so I got that process started.and right after that I found a Craftsman Series 100 (113.2993) Cabinet Table Saw so i went and picked that up, put a new 60t dewalt blade on it and started cleaning it up..

I had one back in 1959. I think it was a 12”. It was a pain to keep the arm set @90°, but once set, it worked great. I even used it to rip sheets of plywood and do bevel cuts. Some people are afraid of RAS’s. They require you to be extra cautious, especially when ripping. Use the correct blade, one with a negative rake. It will reduce the tendency for the blade to “self-feed”. For a new table and fence, just copy the dimensions of the old one. MDF, 3/4” thick is best for the table and a piece of 3/4×1-1/2 Poplar for the fence. Set the fence so it is about 1” in front of the blade with the blade all the way back.

A wise decision indeed. That old RAS was not the best tool to learn on. I am still using mine but I treat it with a lot of respect. The table you have left should be good for something, I wonder if the crank up and down parts could somehow be used to raise and lower a router in a router table?

-- A tube of calk and a gallon of paint will make a carpenter what he ain't

Good decision is right. If the table saw is the belt driven contractor saw it will probably be worth your time. I had a William Tell experience when my father was trying to mill molding with his RAS years ago. Never liked them. -Jack